Graphites are traditionally produced by first pulverizing a graphitizable coke. This pulverized material is then mixed with a binder, typically pitch, and formed to the desired shape. The shaped coke-pitch mixture is then heated under essentially non-oxidizing conditions to temperatures typically up to about 1200° C. to form a porous carbon. After cooling, the porous carbon is typically impregnated with a pitch and then re-heated to elevated temperatures. This pitch impregnation may be repeated as necessary to further density the shaped carbon. The resulting shaped carbon is then typically heated to temperatures greater than about 2000° C. to effect graphitization.
Non-graphitic, solid, three-dimensional, self-supporting carbons, excluding carbon-carbon composites, generally are not widely commercially available. There are a few examples of commercially available three-dimensional, self-supporting glassy carbons but the cost of these materials is prohibitive for most applications.
Other commercially available three-dimensional, self-supporting carbons would be classified as foams or cokes as their densities are much lower than those of the products of the present invention.